The Manubu’ have been hit hard by the typhoon. For the past few years their main source of income has been harvesting trees that they plant and selling the logs. They say that most of those trees were blown over by the typhoon while still too small to harvest.
Most of the logs they had cut and were stockpiled near rivers waiting for a flood so they could float them down to their buyers in the lowlands washed away in the huge flood cause by the typhoon. That means they are in debt to the log buyers they borrowed money from to live on while cutting the logs.
We hired men to clear the trees fallen across the 5 miles of road between our village and our airstrip. They used a chain saw and machetes. It took three days. 11 men the first day, 18 men the second day, and 12 men the third day!
Many sweet potato fields were either lost to landslides or are covered by fallen trees. Most of the fruit trees in the jungle that are a source of food have been blown over. Much of their seed rice and corn seed got wet and ruined. Tilmun, a Manubu’ bible teacher from our village who moved to the lowlands and is teaching there, says that their rice field was within a week of being ready to harvest, but the typhoon destroyed it.
And yet many believers are able to praise God for this demonstration of His power.
There is apparently enough good seed left so when planted in the spring it could provide seed for the next year. We’ll be looking for a source of upland rice seed and also corn seed to get the people in our area through the year until they have a good supply of their own seed again. If we are able to find a source we’ll set up a project fund for buying seed that people can contribute to.
So, please PRAY that the believers will continue to trust Lord for their daily needs and will see His providing in amazing ways.
The following are a few pictures of typhoon damage and aftermath. There are two roofs on our house, including much of the framing, that we will need to replace because of typhoon damage. And looking over other roofs on our house we see that they too are in need of being replaced. In the meantime we are hoping that temporary repairs will get us through rainy season and until funds are available.
Our roof with temporary repairs – before the typhoon there were two rows of solar panels going the whole width of the roof.
Manubu’ house with no roof left.
Our ceiling after the rain poured in after the roof blew off
Kids taking shelter in our house
Lots of clothes being dried out in our village after the typhoon We thank the Lord that the days have all been sunny since the typhoon.
The believer’s meeting house. Even some of the floor was torn up by the typhoon
Praise God for the many ways he uses to teach us to trust him more.